Minimal

pairs
A minimal pair is a pair of words with ONE phonemic difference only.

In order to decide whether a pair of words is a minimal pair or not, you need to
know what sounds make up the word, and you need to IGNORE the word's
spelling.
If you are a native English speaker, you may find this easy. Most people have to
look up the words in a pronunciation dictionary.

This can best be shown with examples.

Spelling Pronunciation
Yes, a
cat - - only k and b are
minimal
bat different
pair!
Yes, a
wide - only d and z are
minimal -
wise different
pair!
only and are
different. Remember,
these are two different
Yes, a
ride - - diphthongs. Diphthongs
minimal
road are single phonemes,
pair!
although they are
written with two
symbols.
Yes, a
kite - only k and n are
minimal -
night different
pair!
This is a minimal pair
because s and "nothing"
Yes, a are different. This means
take -
minimal - than minimal pairs can
steak
pair! also be made if one of
the "sounds" is actually
zero!
 No, not a
maid - The two words are the
minimal -
made same exactly.
pair
No, not a There are TWO
wise -
minimal - differences in theses
rice
pair words
There are TWO
differences in theses
No, not a words (be very careful
base -
minimal - to distinguish s and z -
phase
pair you will need a
dictionary mort of the
time!)
Yes, a
minimal
pair in
Some Scottish and
RP,
caught - - American accents will
but no,
cot pronounce these words
not in
the same.
some
other
accents

Making minimal pairs is a method that can be used to work out whether two
different sounds in a certain language are allophones or phonemes. For instance,
we can see that l and r are different phonemes by making the minimal pair:

l and r can
distinguish
between
words:
they are
lime - rhyme - distinctive
for the
meaning
of the
word

But the two types of English /l/ - light and dark - cannot make a minimal pair,
because the phonological rules state that can only appear in the word where
cannot appear. In some languages they CAN make minimal pairs.
Sometimes we cannot make a minimal pair to show different phonemes, simply
becasue there are no words that fit. When this happens, we can usually find
MINIMAL CONTEXTS instead. Thus you cannot find a minimal pair to show

that and are different phonemes. But we can find a minimal context like this:

and are in different

fission -
CONTEXTS
vision -
although fission and vision are
not minimal pairs.